All Along
by bluedragongirl
Summary: This takes place right after "First Kiss". Please let me know if I should continue.


Author's Note: YAY! I finally got my word program to work! Stupid thing has been freezing up on me this weekend and preventing me from writing. The nerve. Anyway, about the fic. I have no idea if anyone else is interested in reading this, so here's what I'll do: I'm posting this small section to see. Any reviews are welcome. Tell me if you think it's worth continuing so far. This is NOT just a preview (which is against the rules). I am actually giving you the first part of the story. I can promise you the following: a) no one is going to undergo traumatic mental instability, b) no one is going to get fatally ill (eh, **possibly** subject to change, but most likely not), c) none of the characters are going to completely change their personality, and d) Ethan Craft won't be in it, simply because I haven't seen enough episodes with him in it to know what to do with him. **smiles** I'm going to attempt relative fanfiction normality. The need to write this came about when I realized that there were hardly any Lizzie fics in which the characters were similar to themselves, the situations stayed within reasonable Disney boundaries, and they didn't have a freakish experience. I would have thought this category would be packed with stereotypical "school stories" and angsty (but not traumatizing) romance. Oh well. I'm not dissing people who write those stories, I just had an appetite for a story more like this. So I guess I'll just have to write it! Oh my gosh, ew. I'm going to write this. Somebody stop me. OK, ending of rambling. Future author's notes will be much smaller in size (I hope).

Random thought: Why does staying in a non-familiar place make me want to brew a nice, hot cup of tea?

This takes place starting right after "First Kiss" (was that the episode you've been waiting for or WHAT?!? ^_^)… the first chapter will probably be kind of contemplative because the characters will be thinking over the recent situation and setting the tone. Oh, and since they're 13, I'm placing them in 8th grade… in the show they're in 7th. Oh well, what's a little inconsistency? Eh heh.

-blahblah- = someone is thinking

(1), (2), (3), ETC. = there is a note at the end about the previous text

**blahblah** = an action is happening

**Preview Edition:**

Chapter 1: Cupid Needs a Cure for Blindness

~bluedragongirl~

Animated Lizzie: Who knew love could be so fickle? One minute you're on cloud nine, the next you feel lower than drain slime. Well, if that's what you call love, you can keep it. **shows a cupid shoot an arrow at Animated Lizzie, but it bounces right off. Little Lizzie folds her arms and glares at cupid**

Lizzie McGuire, the girl known for her perky attitude and high spirits, walked quietly into school that morning. Normally school was tolerable, even fun. At school something interesting was always bound to happen and more importantly, school meant Miranda and Gordo, first thing everyday. But this morning Lizzie just felt out of it. –Girl, get over it. It's not like it was really love… I mean, you can't fall in love in only a few days, can you?-

Lizzie sighed as she flicked some of her soft blonde hair out of her face and opened her locker. A weight seemed to press in on her as she lost herself in the memories of the past few days. After finally getting up some real hope that someone could see her **that** way, she had immersed herself in the fact that she could become a them. Willing to give 110 percent to a relationship, she had invested her time, her thoughts, and most of all, her heart in this other person. –Ronny.- she thought with some distaste. –Maybe I was more interested in being **with** someone than in who that other person was…?- But no. She had honestly lo… well, liked him. But it hadn't been enough. **She** hadn't been enough to keep a guy interested for more than a week… So she was worse off than she was in the beginning. Now she was **really** wondering what was wrong with herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thanks for your time, Mr. Stravinning. When I accept my Oscar for best director, I'll remember you in my acceptance speech," Gordo joked.

David Gordon, known as Gordo, had arrived at school half an hour early for an appointment with the school's media arts teacher, Mr. Stravinning. Mr. Stravinning had mentioned the week before that he would be willing to assist any interested kids in obtaining acceptance into and possibly even a scholarship towards the city's prestigious fine arts high school. Gordo had literally jumped at the chance. Having existed happily so far on the outskirts of popular society, he learned just how embarrassing it was to burst from one's seat in class, thus drawing a whole room's attention uncomfortably to oneself. –Last week's news.- he reminded himself with a shudder.

"Anytime, Gordo. You have until the end of spring break to finish your admissions form and essay. Remember, they like originality and creativity," the teacher replied, with his usual vague smile.

-No problem,- Gordo thought with confidence as he waved 'later' and left the classroom to grab his books from his locker and head to his first class. –That leaves me a whole month.- (1) (see below)

His pleasant thoughts were interrupted with the sight of his closest friend Lizzie McGuire. She was pulling books out of her locker with a listlessness that was very un-Lizzie-like. Gordo could feel the resentment and anger that had become rather familiar over the last week start to rise again. No one should be able to hurt his Lizzie like this… he thought subconsciously. Interesting how the subconscious is so skilled at burying the very clarifying thoughts that could so often sort out a confusing situation for the poor host.

"Hey Lizzie," Gordo called with forced cheer as he walked up to her niche in the row of cold metal lockers.

She looked up quickly with a relieved smile. Why, oh why couldn't there be guys as nice and cool as Gordo around to fall for? she mused (2). Her infectious smile reached all the way up to her eyes as she remembered the unconditional support of her best buds during her "melt-down".

"Hey Gordo. How did you meeting with Mr. Stravinning go?"

Gordo felt relief flow through him as Lizzie seemed to pull herself from her unhappy thoughts and respond, but mostly he was relieved to see her truly smile again. This wasn't the watery, uncertain attempt he had seen the other day.

"Terrific. You wouldn't believe how amazing this school sounds. Their facilities even include…" Gordo was cut off by an arrogant, nasty voice.

"Aw, how sweet. The reject has finally realized her chances in love are less than zero and has settled for the little outcast. I hear Ronny was really relieved to be rid of you."

Lizzie and Gordo spun to face the speaker and were presented with the unpleasant view of Kate. Lizzie's previous insecurities suddenly threatened to drown her again as she turned red with embarrassment.

Animated Lizzie: How strange is that? I thought Kate and I were getting along a little better since that school project we did with each other. I guess some cats really don't change their spots. **picks up a discarded animal print fur rug** Oh well, it's good for camouflage. **huddles inside the rug which promptly turns beet red, too.** Traitor.

As for Gordo, he had never considered hitting a girl before, but at that moment he would have liked nothing better than to forcefully wipe an unbearably smug smile off of Kate Sander's face. Fortunately he never had to pick that option. Gordo didn't think he had ever been more happy to see Miranda.

------------

(1) Author's mini-note: OK, I realize that in the "First Kiss" episode it was late summer or sometime warm-ish. Well, let's say their spring break is, um, the beginning of April, so it is conceivable that it's warm right now. Heck, it's in the 80's here and it's mid-February. I'm pretending they live in southern California, and we all know how nice the weather is there. I live in Arizona and I think I'm going to die from the heat this summer. OK, You are here forewarned: I talk too much like this. Blahblahblah…

(2)**snicker** Yeah, where did all the Gordos go? LOL!! Blind!

-------------

If it made any impression, I know you'll review, so I won't ask. Thanks for your time! Oh, and quick correction: Recently some relatively normal fics have been popping up. Yay! ^_^


End file.
